When I think of how we can support mineral status in children, it isn’t a whole heck of a lot different than what I typically recommend in adults. When it comes to hair tissue mineral analysis, there are absolutely differences in reading the test (learn more inside my bonus episode I did on this in Patreon), but supporting minerals in general is very similar. Three main areas of focus come up for me: supporting healthy digestion, including mineral rich foods, and minimizing stress. Let’s dig into each one!

Supporting Healthy Digestion

Many of the issues I see with children and minerals involve poor digestion. The amount of constipation, food allergies/sensitivities, and skin issues in young children is astonishing to me. Yes, certain minerals can be depleted, but if a child isn’t breaking down their food well, adding more mineral-rich foods may not have the desired effect you’re looking for. So, how can we support digestion in our children?

• Create a calming eating environment. Just like adults, children’s digestion starts in the brain and requires their nervous system to be relaxed in order to function optimally. Avoiding distractions like screens can be a big help for optimal digestion.
• Avoid pressure around food–let them decide how much they eat. This can be a hard one. We want to make sure our children are nourished and eating enough, but when we are regularly applying pressure around food it can create a very stressful eating environment. This not only makes it difficult to get them to eat certain foods, but can also make digestion worse if they are stressed. We also want to make sure they are tapping into their own hunger and fullness cues. This will be a lifelong skill that they will be grateful for.
• Be present at meals. Are you distracted at meals? Then they will be distracted. Try to treat meals like a date with them. Enjoy your family, talk, hang out. This will induce relaxation and support digestion.
• Include zinc, sodium, and potassium rich foods in diet–these minerals are especially important for making stomach acid.
• Need more support? Try some apple cider vinegar gummies. I shared a recipe on my Instagram that you can find here.

Including Mineral Rich Foods

Eating a mix of animal and plant foods is a great basic principle to have to support getting a mix of minerals into your child’s diet. Here are some examples:

• Animal foods: beef, chicken pork, eggs, dairy, seafood
  • The goal is to vet a variety if you can. Beef is a big one for minerals since it’s a great source of many important ones for children, including zinc. If your child doesn’t love seafood, aim for more beef!
• Organ meats like beef liver
  • This will be like a multivitamin for your child. Kids do not need beef liver daily. You could mix it into ground meat dishes that you cook or you could try capsules if you have an older child that doesn’t want to eat the actual liver. You can also open up capsules and mix them into food (it doesn’t taste as strong as a pureed liver) or smoothies.
• Whole food carbs like root veggies, fruit will contain more minerals than grain based products.
• Beans and legumes will also include important minerals like potassium and often calcium. I get A LOT of questions of foods to prioritize for dairy free kids and beans, cooked greens, and seafood are my top 3 to get them enough calcium.
• Fermented foods can be a great way to introduce certain foods to babies/toddlers since they are easy to chew and contain beneficial bacteria. They are also a great source of sodium, so if your child does have extra stress, they can be helpful.

Minimizing Stress

All humans are born with fast metabolisms, which means we use up more minerals. This makes sense since we are rapidly growing and developing as soon as we are given life. This doesn’t stop when we are born and will continue on through childhood and even early adulthood. This is why supporting digestion and including mineral-rich foods is so important. Our kids genuinely need them! The stress piece is something I often do not hear discussed when it comes to children, which breaks my heart a bit. Children absolutely experience stress. A lot of that stress is a part of learning and growing; just like adults, some of that stress can’t always be minimized. I think increasing our awareness of what stresses our children the most and how we can minimize that is not only helpful for their health but also for ours. When you start to look at your days and when your kids may exhibit changes in their mood and feelings they express, they often line up with when we are also stressed, rushed, etc. So what can be done? This doesn’t mean our kids should never experience stress. That’s not what I’m saying, but just like adults, they can experience so much stress (from all types–mental, emotional, physical, nutritional, etc.) that it then impacts their metabolism and mineral status.

I personally look at stress for my daughter as much more than a way to support her minerals. It’s a way to help us have a smoother day and enjoy life more. Taking note of when your child is having a hard time/seems stressed for a few days and then looking at the patterns is a great place to start. One thing I noticed for our family is that morning chill/playtime is really important for our day. I typically try to get a workout in and then do a little bit of work while my daughter does some independent play. She plays best on her own after we have spent time together. And not just having her near me while I do things but engaging with her directly. Once she gets that, I can then take a break and do something like a 20-30-minute workout or chunk of work. Do I get stopped while I’m doing those things? Yes, I absolutely do, but it’s usually brief, and she just needs to be redirected. I’ve learned to space things out during the day so that her needs are met, allowing me to meet mine as well. If I tried to cram all this stuff in together first thing in the morning, it would leave both of us frustrated and stressed.

If you have older children and are doing school drop off and it’s a mad house in the morning, sometimes that stress can’t be avoided. Getting things like clothes and lunches ready the night before could definitely help. I have a friend with three school-age kids, and she gets up early to get things going before the kids get up. One of her kids likes to join her. He often plays while she makes breakfast and just wants time to himself before he goes to school (he’s a very sweet introvert). Her other kids don’t do this, and one sleeps as late as humanly possible, but that’s what she prefers. She gets her stuff ready the night before and understands this allows her to sleep late. It will look different for every family and child, but I encourage you to get curious. Do your kids seem stressed? Maybe not. If they have health concerns, I think it’s worth looking into and getting curious about, though!

You can learn even more about supportive minerals for kids in this podcast episode.

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